Public Talk
During the next public talk at Il-Ħaġar Museum, taking place on Friday 6 March 2026 at 19:30, Rev. Geoffrey George Attard will delve into the exceptionally close and loving bond the English writer and scholar J.R.R. Tolkien shared with his mother, Mabel Tolkien, known before marriage as Mabel née Suffield. This bond shaped both his life and his faith. After his father’s death, when Ronald was three, Mabel became the sole caregiver and educator for her two sons, teaching them subjects such as Latin, French, botany, and drawing. Her decision to convert to Roman Catholicism in 1900 resulted in severe condemnation and the complete loss of all financial support from her staunchly Baptist family, forcing them into poverty. When Mabel died of acute diabetes in 1904 at the age of 34 – two decades before insulin was discovered – Tolkien, then only 12, was left orphaned and came to regard her as a martyr for her faith and for the hardships she endured to ensure her sons were raised Catholic. This deep love and profound sense of loss left an indelible mark, influencing his strong religious identity and the themes of suffering, sacrifice, and enduring love found in his works.
Born in 1978, Rev. Attard is a priest of the diocese of Gozo. He holds a Masters in Ecclesiastical History from the University of Edinburgh and a Masters in Theology from the University of St Andrews’, Scotland. He is a member of the Oxford Tolkien Society. He teaches Church History at the Sacred Heart Seminary, Gozo (Malta). He reviews books for The Sunday Times of Malta.
As always, admission for this talk is free, but seat reservations are encouraged by sending an email to events@heartofgozo.org.mt.
